Top 5 Best Cheap Laptops Under $250

Shopping for a new laptop doesn’t have to drain your wallet. Here are our top picks for great laptops that cost $250 or less.

1. Acer C720 Chromebook

(Acer)

If you’re not familiar with the differences between a laptop and a Chromebook, here’s what you need to know. Chromebooks run on Google’s ChromeOS.

A Chromebook does have some limitations that a regular laptop does not, including the fact that many apps won’t work on your Chromebook without a Wi-Fi connection. Despite some limitations, Chromebooks remain a great laptop option for Google fans, and for people who already do a lot of work on documents in the cloud. This Acer Chromebook is a smart buy.

Will not appeal to people who don’t use Gmail or other Google services

Does not include Microsoft Word or other Office Suite products

Hard drive is just 16GB (but you do get plenty of additional storage in Google Drive)

Screen resolution somewhat low

Sometimes difficult to use as a photo viewer

2. Apple MacBook MB061LL/A 13.3″

(Apple)

Macs are notoriously expensive, but with good reason: they are often more reliable than their Windows cousins. This particular MacBook model is a bit old at this point, but still very much worth recommending. You can even get it cheaper as a used or refurbished model.

Speaking from personal experience, this MacBook is a workhorse that is the best laptop I’ve ever owned. While it is a little dated in terms of specs, that is easily remedied by upgrading the RAM and swapping out the hard drive for a solid state drive. These upgrades will only cost you about $100, and will make this older model perfectly serviceable in 2014 and beyond. Even without upgrades to RAM and hard drive, this MacBook will suit the needs of many students, seniors, or casual laptop users.

Share it.

3. WolVol Worlds Smallest Internet Laptop

(WolVol)

This tiny laptop is ideal for kids, as well as for people who only use their laptops to do a few simple things. The small size of the laptop makes it easier for people with small hands to use. However, that small size also means short battery life and reduced screen resolution. If you’re looking for a cheap laptop for your kids, this is a solid choice.

Unlikely to satisfy teens and young adults, who need more computing power

Speakers are a bit on the quiet side

4. Samsung Chromebook Notebook Exynos 5250

(Samsung)

Another Chromebook worth considering is this attractive model from Samsung. Boasting a screen that’s nearly a foot wide, this big laptop feels expansive, despite some of the limitations that come with relying on ChromeOS. While it has just a 16 GB solid state drive and 2GB RAM, you can get more storage through Google Drive.

Some user reviews suggest cord is flimsy and will not stand up to much abuse

May not be compatible with all software you want to use

5. HP Pavilion 10.1-Inch Touchscreen Laptop

(HP)

While this laptop does cost just a bit more than $250, the budget-conscious can get it for less when they buy it refurbished. The extra cost is worth it to have the very cool touchscreen functionality. This HP laptop is great for anyone who wants a more tactile laptop experience.